The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-13
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
An Attempt Upon His Life In 1S6e-rhe
kidnapping Conspiracy.
Wheeling (W. Va Register

An Attempt Upon His Life I'm 1S6e-The
kidnapping Conspiracy.
wheeling CIV. Va, Registerl
81 am reading with great deal of inter-
est Nicolsy and Hays life of Lincoln in
the Century" said Mr.. John w. Nichols
ex-pres1dent of the Omaha Fire Depart
ment, to me. "The chapters that will most
interest me will be those relating to his
career from 1862 to 1865, and particularly
the history of the assassination. 1t is not
generally known that more than ons at
tempt upon LincoIn's life was made in
Washington, bat such is the fact"
Mr.. Nichols statement interested me
somewhat, and l asked him to explain.
he then went on and told me substantially
the following story: In August, 1862, Com
pany X. One Hundred and Fifth Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, OF which Mr.. Nichols
was a member, was detailed as body-guard
of President Lincoln. Up to 1864, owing
to the vigilance of the guards, Mr.. Lincoln
escaped all attempts at violence. The back
of the Confederacy was broken, good
feeling pervaded all Washington, and vigi-
lance was considerably relaxed. It was
then conspiracies were Matched and Con-
federates ran the city unmolested. The
President and his family spent the sum-
mer months at the Soldiers Home, about
three miles north of the city, whittier the
Eody-guard accompanied them. 1t was the
custom of the President to remain late al
was concluded he would ride on horseback
out to the home. Tnat summer he had
persstently refused an escort, imagining
b mself perfectly secure.
One night, about the middle of August,
Mr.. Nichols was doing sentinel duty at the
large gate to the grounds of the home.
About IL o'clock he heard a rihe-saot, and
shortly afterward Mr.. Lincoln dashed up
to the gate on horseback. The President
was bareheaded, and as he dismounted he
said. referring to bis horse: "He came
pretty near getting away with me, didn't
he? He got the bit in his teeth before |
could draw the rein." Mr.. Nichols asked
him where his hat was, and he replied that
somebody had fred gun off at the foot of
the hill, and that his horse had become
scared and jerked his hat OFF.
Thinking the affair rather strange" said
Mr.. Nichols, "a CORPORAL and myself went
down the hill to make an investigation.
At the intersection of the driveway and
main road we found the Presidents hat-a
p ain silk one-and upon examining ii we
discovered a bullet-hole through the
crown. The shot had been fred upward.
and it was evident that the person who had
fred the shot had eecreted himself close by
the roadside. The next day l gave Mr.
Lincoln his hat and called his attention to
the bullet-hole. He remarked unconcerned-
ly that it was put there by some foolish gun
ner and was not intended for him. He
said, however, that he wanted the matter
kept quiet, and admonished us to say
nothing about it. We felt confident that
it was an attempt to kill him, and a well
nigh successful one, too. The affair was,
of course, kept quiet 10 compliance with
the Presidents request. After that the
President never rode alone"
Mr.. Nichols then went on to relate the
circumstances OF a kidnapping conspiracy
which was attempted to be carried out the
next fall. This plan was unkuowlngly
frustrated by the body-guard, whose quar-
tiers were Immediately in front OF the south
porch of the Executive Mansion, equi-dis-
tant between that building and the Treas
ury, State, War and Navy Departments.
Just to the east of the quarters was the
guard-tent where portion Of the body
| guard remained on duty. For reasons then
unknown to the guard the tent was moved
to the west end OF the gravel walk in the
rear of the War Department. Shortly
afterward it was learned by the guard that
on the very night the tent was moved 8
! plan had been laid to capture the Presi
dent as he should pass along the walk, and
carry him to the house of one Greeu, 8
| notorious rebel, on the bank of the Poto-
|
and thence, when the opportunity offered
he was to be carried to Richmond and
| held as hostage. Tt was always believed
that the moving of the guard tent to the
west end OF the walk frightened the con.
/ spirators and thwarted their design.
At another time, not long before this in
| cident Bourke, the veteran coachman
who had served through two administra-
tions at the White House, was taken sick.
A stranger from Baltimore applied for the
place and succeeded in securing it in the
absence of Bourke. He did not hold the
place very long, however, as he became SC
| domineering and important that be was
| intolerable. Bourke was reinstated. le
night, not long after he had been dis
missed, the discharged coachman was dis
covered sneaking about the stables which
were soon observed to be on fire. Toe
whole guard was called out and by grea
exertions saved the Presidential coach and
team, but Tad Lincoln's pony alc
ished. 1t was believed that
plan bad been formed for this mar
/ to fire the stables, and during the excite
ment conspirators were to rush into thu
White House aud murder The President
Mr.. Lincoln, however, rushed out with the
rest to the scene of the fire, and thus frus
trated any attempt at assassination. "Wha
made this appear more evident" said Mr.
Nichols, was the fact that, after tue in
cendiary was arrested, he produced seyera
witnesses who were employed at Ford
Theater, and who testified thst he (the dis
charged coachman) was down in the CITY
during the whole evening on which tn,
fire occurred. These were the persons who
in my opinion, laid the final conspiracy
that brought Abraham Lincoln to hi
grave" ALFRED SoRENsoN